Michael Tilson Thomas, the music director of the San Francisco Symphony and an out gay man and cultural icon, will conduct Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 on September 11. A Russian composer, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, was gay.

We are united in our support for Russia’s LGBT community at this time. We deplore the rise in violence against them resulting from the Russian government’s recent enactment of anti-gay propaganda laws, and the government’s oppression of human rights defenders and activists.

We are a diverse group of individuals from many backgrounds, countries, and stations in life. Some of us are singers and performers, patrons and promoters of the arts, political activists, LGBT people, straight allies and citizens of the world.

We, the undersigned, request that Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony dedicate the September 11 performance to friendship and solidarity with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens of Russia.

Letter to

San Francisco SymphonyMichael Tilson Thomas

San Francisco SymphonyBrent Assink

Please dedicate the Tchaikovsky concert on September 11th to LGBT Russians and their struggle for dignity, respect and full acceptance at all levels of society.